Vows
by JustJasper
Summary: Morgan is a hostage, and is allowed a final phonecall. Written for angst bingo prompt 'marriage'. Alluded/implied character death.


For the first time, receiving no phone call from their team mate was a good sign.

Two hostages had been killed already; prior to their execution, they were permitted a phone call. The team had stood by and listened as family in the crowd spoke with their stricken relatives, trying to profiled what this meant for the unsubs while holding their phones, praying to gods several of them didn't even believe existed that none of them would get a call from Morgan.

The longer he'd been in there, the more the hope that he'd be able to diffuse the situation dwindled.

When Reid's phone rang, he almost dropped it. He glanced at the illuminated display, and found the name 'Derek' – it had been years since it was 'Morgan' – displayed.

He glanced desperately at the rest of the team; Hotch and Prentiss were staring at him, Rossi was looking at the floor, and JJ turned away and looked like she was trying to keep herself from crying.

He flipped open the phone and pressed a button for speakerphone out of habit.

"Derek." He said thickly, holding the phone up near his mouth and staring at the building opposite from their vantage.

"_Hey, pretty boy."_ Morgan murmured, his voice not calm enough to mask the sadness.

The last time Morgan had touched him had been a gentle touch to the arm before he left to question a lead. Reid had barely acknowledged it.

"We're going to get you out." He said quickly, bracing his free hand in the middle of his chest.

"_No you're not."_ It was almost an admonishment. "_They have automatic weapons. If you come in, a lot of innocent people are gonna die."_

"We can try-"

"_You can't."_

"Derek..." his voice cracked, and he looked at the team, hoping Hotch had a plan. Each of them was watching him, but they were silent. There was no plan.

"_I love you, Spencer Reid."_

Emily and Rossi pulled the exact same sad smile, as Reid felt hot tears pricking at the corner of his eyes.

"I love you too, Derek."

"_God, I should have married you." _Morgan sighed. _"I wanted to ask, but I kept thinking it was too soon. Or maybe I was scared. I could have called you my husband."_ His voice was steadily dropping in pitch, clear that he was failing to hold back his emotions. _"I'm sorry."_

Reid had to close his eyes for a second and readjust his footing, which forced the tears out.

"I wouldn't change any of the time we had together." He said, and caught a little sob from manifesting, an awkward squeak covered by a sigh replacing it.

"_I feel like I wasted so much time."_

"It wasn't wasted."

"_But it wasn't enough."_ There was just a trace of anger, of sadness. It was not fair that they could only hear each other's voices.

"If you get out of this-"

"_I'm not getting out, Spencer."_ Morgan sighed. _"Not this time."_

"Derek.." his voice crumpled and he blinked out more tears, registering the actual physical pain in his chest.

"_C'mon baby, you gotta keep strong."_ Morgan said kindly.

Reid cradled the phone in both hands, bringing it closer to his mouth as if he feared it might suddenly break.

"I can't lose you." He whispered.

"_I'm not getting lost, you'll never lose me. What we had, you'll always have."_

"But you won't be here!" he choked back another sob uselessly. He cast another desperate glance at Hotch. "We can come get you."

"_You can't."_ Morgan said. _"Spencer, you can't. People will die."_

"Derek-"

"_Spencer, I love you!"_ he said. _"Please, baby. Just know I love you. I love you so much, the only person I ever felt like this about. I would have spent my life with you. I'd of asked you to marry me."_

"I would have said yes. I love you. I love you, Derek." Reid murmured. Saying it wasn't enough. He wanted to touch Derek's face and kiss his mouth and tell him with every atom that he loved him.

"_I know. Spencer-"_

The line went dead.

"We have to go in and get him!" Reid screeched, rounding on Hotch. The man tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it away. "Hotch-"

"Reid, you know we can't go in there with so many hostages."

"Derek's in there!" Reid shouted, looking appalled at Hotch's resistance. "They're going to kill him, Hotch! I-" he turned away, pulling his gun from his belt and taking a few quick strides in the direction of the police cordon. Hotch and Prentiss realised what he was doing and grabbed him, pulling him back.

"Let me go!" he yelled, attracting attention of the crowd and law enforcement. "Hotch, let go! Get off-"

One gunshot from a shotgun rang out from the building.

"No!" Reid spluttered, his knees buckling. Hotch and Prentiss held him up as his gun clattered to the floor. "No! No! No no no! Morgan!" he yelled desperately. "Derek!" he fought their hold again. "Derek!"

"Reid-" Prentiss said, her own voice shaking.

"Get off me! Let go! Morgan!" he screamed as they dragged him back from the barriers. "No no no! He can't!"

Reid's chest felt like it he was in a live autopsy, as if someone was cracking open his breastplate to eviscerate him. He gasped for breath and sobbed, knees collapsing again and finally the two pairs of hands holding him faltered and he tumbled to the ground in a heap. He couldn't stand, could barely breathed, and he doubled over and wretched emptily, heaving. Someone had a hand on his back but he didn't care, didn't care about anything as his brain ceased to string thoughts and actions together successfully.

Several paces away, a police officer leant in close to Hotch, his low voice carrying.

"We have another fatality."

"**Death ends a life, not a relationship." - ****Mitch Albom**


End file.
